y-obɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] y-otɔ [ ˥ ˩ ] to come
about; to commence (intrans.,
of a thing, or affair); ʋ-ɔya y-obɔ
y-otɔ hɛ [ \ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ / ] how did it
come about? y-obɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] y-ɔ
[ \ ] (yi 1 [ ˥ ]) to agree to it
(the second verb, yi, may be
followed by nouns as well)+ (v.
kwe [ ˥ ] y-ɔ [ \ ]); iy-obɔ y-ɔ
[ ˩ ˥ ˦ (3-1) ] I agree (to it). y-owɛ
[ ˥ ˩ ] rilo [ ˩ ˥ ] to tread (lit. “with
feet”); idiom.: uy-owɛ ril-ɔʋ̃ɛ
[ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “you have trodden on
me”: you have committed
adultery with my wife. y-ɔɣɔ
[ ˥ ˩ ] na [ ˥ ] to honour; to pay
respect to; y-ɔɣɔ n-en-ɔdiɛ̃ ɽ̃uɛ̃
[ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ / / ] pay respect to your
senior! ɔy-ɔɣɔ mɛ [ ˩ ˩ / ˦ ] he
(always) pays respect to me.
y-ɔmɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] na [ ˥ ] to betroth
(“dash”) a girl to somebody
(i.e. generally as a child, when
the suitor has asked for her);
after the betrothal, the suitor
starts the ugaʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ \ ˩ ], the
service for his father-in-law;
v. also mu [ ˥ ] xuɛ [ / ]; ɔy-ɔmɔ
nɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ (3-1) ] he betrothed a girl to
him. y-unu [ ˩ ˥ ] y-ɔ [ \ ] to
demand a price for something
(of the seller); il-iɣo‿uy-unu y-ɔ
[ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˦ ˧ ] how much (money) do
you want for it? (v. ve [ ˥ ].)
ya 2 [ ˥ ] an auxiliary verb used in
relative sentences when the
relation is a temporal one:
“when”; d-ɛɣɛ n-ɔya re [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ]
or [ ˩ ˩ ˥ \ ˥ ] “at what time (was
it) when he came?”: when did he
come? cf. ya 1 [ ˥ ] (?); v. na 4 [ ˥ ].
ya 3 [ ˥ ] to join, in ya [ ˥ ] ba [ / ]
to join. ya [ ˥ ] gba [ ˥ ] to stick
together; to become knotted;
e.g. of a rope into which some-
